Dems, GOP set candidates for county offices, judgeships

WEST CHESTER >> Chester County’s two major political parties held their annual endorsement conventions on Tuesday but generated little fireworks, as the vast majority of candidates for county and local offices on both the Democratic and Republican ballots were running unopposed.

But voters in the Democratic Party primary in May will have choices on who to select as the candidates for two Common Pleas

Court seats up for grabs in November. Republicans endorsed two men by acclimation for the same seat, meanwhile.

The Democratic committee members, meeting virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, endorsed one of the four candidates whose names were put forth on Tuesday, attorney Alita Rovito of West Goshen. They could not, however, come to an agreement on the second endorsement, splitting between two attorneys in private practice both of whom have ties to the party, Thomas “Tip” McCabe of Spring City and Anthony

Verwey of Downingtown. The fourth candidate, prosecutor Carlos Barraza of Kennett Square, was dropped from the balloting after he came in fourth on the first goround.

Rovito, a family law specialist with her own practice in West Chester, who previously served as a Special Judicial Master in the county after several years as a county prosecutor, when she helped to establish the D.A.’s Child Abuse Unit, won endorsement with 83 percent of the vote on the first ballot.

Barraza, McCabe and Verwey are all making their first run for the Common Pleas Court. Their backgrounds are varied, with Barraza, now county senior deputy District Attorney, a longtime prosecutor; McCabe, a former county Public Defender now in private practice in Pottstown; and Verwey, a former counsel for the state Disciplinary Board now doing municipal and real estate law with the West Chester firm of Gawthrop Greenwood.

To win endorsement, Democratic candidates must clear a threshold of 65 percent of the vote cast. But the second ballot Tuesday was split between McCabe with 58 percent and Verwey with 43 percent, so no endorsement was made between the two. All four candidates could conceivably run in the primary, which is scheduled for May 11, but only Rovito would be listed as the preferred candidate. Judicial candidates are also permitted to cross-file on both party ballots in

Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, the committee gave its endorsement to attorney Louis Mincarelli of East Brandywine, a former Philadelphia prosecutor now a partner with the law firm of McCullough, McLaughlin, Mincarelli and McCloskey, and county Assistant Public Defender P.J. Redmond of West Goshen, who sought election as Magisterial District Judge in the township last year.

The other primary race shaping up is that for one of the two Magisterial District Courts in West Chester, the jurisdiction covering the western half of the borough as well as East Bradford and West Bradford. The candidates for that seat include county Assistant District Attorney Daniel Hollander of West Chester and criminal defense attorney Marc Lieberman of East Bradford.

According to the committee, as of 9 a.m. Wednesday no endorsement had been declared, although an audit of the balloting was reportedly underway.

Other candidates who were endorsed for Magisterial

District Judge seats were;

On the Democratic side, incumbents Judge Marian Vito of West Chester and Greg Davis of Coatesville; and then former county Assistant District Attorney MacKenzie Smith for the East Goshen court, business and real estate attorney Paige Simmons for the Uwchlan court, former county Assistant Public Defender Lauren Holt for one of the two Tredyffrin courts, and state constable Bobby Brown for the Kennett Square Court.

The GOP endorsed incumbent for the Downingtown, East Goshen, and Kennett Square courts — Jeffrey Vallochi, Thomas Tartaglio, and Matthew Seavey, respectively. It also gave the nod to former Judge Mark Bruno, who is seeking re-election to the seat he lost in 2017 to Democrat Bret Binder. Vallochi was endorsed over former state Trooper Kevin Pierce.

The Democrats also gave endorsements by acclimation to four candidates for county Row Office — incumbent county Controller Margaret Reif, incumbent county Clerk of Courts Yolanda Van De Krol, and incumbent Treasurer Patricia Maisano, as well as Sophia Garcia-Jackson for county Coroner, where she now serves as senior deputy.

On the Republican side, Row Office endorsements went to Tredyffrin businesswoman Regina Mauro for county Controller; New London attorney and former flight safety regulatory worker Carmella Ciliberti for Clerk of Courts; Valley tax enrollment agency owner Jeanna Nicholas; and retired medical doctor and hospital administrator Dr. Frank Speidel.

Chester County Democratic Committee Chairman Dick Bingham, in a post-convention statement, said that the party is in a healthier position numbers wise than in the past. Voter registrations by Democrats outnumber Republicans currently by more than 3,100.

“Exactly one year ago, the difference between registered Chester County Republican voters versus registered Democratic voters was a slim 5,000 voter advantage,” Bingham said. “You could not have predicted the swiftness of change when months later, in May 2020, Chester County flipped to blue. Today everyone in the state of Pennsylvania – and in the country – knows that Chester County leans Democratic with registered voter numbers growing weekly.”

On the other hand, Chester County Republican Committee Chairman Dr. Gordn Eck touted his party’s candidates as bringing “diverse interests and a wealth of experience” to the race.

“Our committee was strongly united behind this talented and highly qualified slate of candidates and we are eager to introduce them to our electorate,” said Eck in a statement. “The Republican Committee of Chester County has always been committed to excellent leadership on behalf of all Chester County residents and we are confident that this slate of candidates presents the strongest path forward in good governance.”

At the same time, Eck told the members of his committee that it had been decided to put off a proposed vote on censuring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey for his vote to convict former President Donald J. Trump in an impeachment trial for his incitement of a riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The matter will now be taken up on Feb. 23, after the state republican Committee takes action on the issue.

Rovito